This past Valentine’s Day weekend was the start of a beautiful love affair between Copper Mountain and an attitude-free wine festival. Copper Uncorked started off with a quirky twist on wine pairings, the Burger and Wine Challenge.

Six chefs brought the heat as they competed to win the grand prize of a Big Green Egg barbeque smoker. A smoker so sexy that even Bobby Flay would throwdown for a chance to win such an awesome prize. “The Burger and Wine Challenge was a success. The amazing food and great wine pairings really surprised the judges and all the people here,” says Christopher Davies, CEO and Co-Founder of Wine Country Network, Inc.

Fermented grape-juice connoisseurs and meat-ivores mingled through Center Village, enjoying all the different stations. Copper Uncorked used the word burgers loosely with variety of meats like salmon, pork, chicken, bison, and beef. Bellies and smiles grew with each glass of wine and plate of food. The crowd of last-minute attendees consisted of a hodgepodge wine fans and curious spectators that couldn’t resist. The best part — people were still in their winter gear. A couple of your standard self-proclaimed wine aficionados ventured into the event but left their attitudes at the door*.

"“The plastic govino wine glass and burgers reminds people that wine doesn’t has to be fancy,”" says Davies.

Chefs were serving up plates of awesome with a dash of taste bud Ecstasy in hopes that their delicious inventions would woo judges and get the People’s Choice vote. Copper’s very own, Carl Small from JJ’s Tavern, was the obvious winner as he snatched 1st place in for both categories of the 2012 Burger and Wine Challenge. If his bacon wrapped ground pork slider topped with apple cherry compote and smoked pork green chili doesn’t get you salivating like one of Pavlov’s dogs, then something is wrong. Quady Winery’s Electra, a California orange Muscat sweet wine, was a deadly combination with the mild spicy food.

Blue Moon Brewing Company located in Golden, Colorado came up to share the love on Valentine’s weekend at Copper with their newest concoction, Vintage Blond Ale. Vintage Blonde is brewed with 49% of Chardonnay grape juice and 51% beer. Other wineries like Evergreen’s own Creekside Cellars, Michael David Winery from California, and Columbia Crest winery from Washington area came up to the mountains to pour out their love. Check out the photos below to see the wine seminars, chocolate and wine pairing, and the silent auction from the Copper Uncorked Wine Festival. Until next time, swish, smell, and drink….but only if you’re in your snowpants. Stay classy Copper Mountain.

*Copper prohibits any attitudes in or around Copper Uncorked Wine Festival